GhVi Week: Take 2
by Satu-D-2
Summary: A series of unrelated one-shots for the group SweetestIrony on DA based on the seven heavenly virtues. "Sequel" of sorts to GhVi Week. Rated for safety.
1. Prudence

AN. Okay, so here's my first entry into GhVi Week 2.0. To be honest, I'm not happy with it. After all, I forgot the dates (thought it _started_ on the 18th [palmface]) and so this is literally last minute. Literally. Written between 1 and 2am on the 13th, I'm late, I'm sorry... Anyways, I'm going to submit this then go to bed. Please forgive any errors on sleep deprevation and last minute-ness-ness. I hope you enjoy despite them :D

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Prudence

"Careful, Gohan-kun!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Ah, stop it, that hurts!"

Gohan sighed softly to himself, then started to gently rub the smooth bare back of the woman lying on her stomach in front of him. His fingertips searched over the relaxed muscles to find tight knots and work them away. Each time he did a soft moan would leave the woman's lips, an encouragement for him to continue. Occasionally though he would accidentally press on a nerve or something and she would let out a soft gasp of pain.

"Sweetie, is this necessary?"

"You pick," she said quietly. "Do you want to spend forty minutes massaging my back every afternoon, or do you want me to be irritable?"

"Lesser of two evils," he sighed, and moved his hands lower so they caressed the small of her back. "But every day?"

"Shh," she murmured, nestling her head into the nook of her elbow. "That feels really nice, Gohan-kun. Stay there. I've been kicked there all day."

"Naww," he said, grinning suddenly. "Poor Videl-san. Bullied by an infant."

"A pre-natal infant," Videl growled, then sighed. "Just rub my back."

Gohan didn't lose his grin, but shut his mouth and continued to gently massage her sore muscles. He wasn't sure if it was because of the Saiyan blood in the baby within his wife's belly, but Videl seemed to suffer from much more back pain than other expectant mothers. And while the pain may be a slight exaggeration, the knotted muscles there were not. Gohan was just glad he could do something to ease Videl's discomfort.

"Videl-san, I think it's time to think about the...the birth..."

She stiffened just slightly beneath him, but with his hands in such intimate contact with the muscles in her back he noticed.

"What about it?" she asked, her tone icy, and Gohan sped up his hands slightly in an effort to pacify her.

"Well, do you want to have it here, at home, or in the hospital?"

There was silence. As he released the last tangible knot in her back she didn't even twitch, and he continued to massage if for no other reason then that this would be easier to talk about if they weren't actually face to face. In this matter he had to convince her, and it would be difficult under the burning intensity of her blue eyes.

Eventually she said in a clipped tone, "What's the difference? There's going to be someone looking at me no matter where it is. Someone looking at our baby..."

Here Gohan hesitated. He wanted to tell her straight out, but he couldn't. She wouldn't really understand. Instead he had to proceed cautiously, because if he just blurted it out she would reject the idea completely.

"Well...not necessarily..."

She froze. It was different than before; her muscles didn't lock up, but the gentle movement of her breath stopped.

"What do you mean, Gohan-kun?" Her voice was carefully measured, but he detected a hint of hope in it. That was a good sign. It made him feel more confident about the idea.

"There's...someone I know...a good friend of mine from when I was a kid..."

"Ye-es?"

Gohan was blushing now, and he was grateful that Videl couldn't see.

"He knows all about the Saiyans, and also knows how to remove our baby's tail so it never causes any trouble."

"This is that Oozaru thing, right?" Videl asked, then muttered under her breath, "I never heard of something so ludicrous."

"Believe it or not, it's true," Gohan said, feeling a little stung. "Saiyans who still have their tails turn into Oozaru. And I'm not going to let our baby go through the transformation... It hurts sometimes, Videl-san. I've only turned a couple of times, but the stretching...the cracking..." He shuddered suddenly and Videl let out a low concerned noise.

"Alright, okay, I believe you. Who is this person who knows so much about Saiyans?"

"Well...he's...um..." Gohan took a deep, preparatory breath, then plunged into it, "He's the Guardian of Earth."

"He's what now?"

"The Guardian of Earth. Kami, so to speak."

"K...Kami...?"

Videl's voice was disbelieving, and then Gohan remembered something that had happened while he'd been assumed dead.

"You've met him," he said, then let out a low relieved laugh. "Of course! You spent some time at Kami's Lookout during the fight with Buu. His name is Dende, remember him?"

"Dende? The...Namekian?"

"Yeah, that's him. He can get rid of our baby's tail without them even knowing it and heal them up so they never feel a thing. What do you think, Videl-san? Are you willing to let Dende help you give birth?"

Videl was still, but Gohan suddenly realised that the delicate skin of her neck was tinting pink. He smiled, then leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to the flushed skin, whispering into her ear with loving tenderness.

"It's alright, Videl-san. It's okay if you're embarrassed. He's really very understanding..."

"Fine," she whispered, but the warmth radiated from her blush didn't fade. "I guess so. He'll come here, right? We don't have to go up to that place in the sky?"

"He'll come here. I'll ask him tonight." He hesitated, then bent and kissed her neck again, whispering urgently, "Are you alright with this, Videl-san? It's just that I think it's best if we get rid of the tail right away and Dende's the best person to do it. He got rid of Goten's tail no problem."

Videl was quiet for a moment, then sighed and shrugged her shoulders a little.

"I guess so," she said. "I guess it's better safe than sorry, right? And he heals, right? So even if something goes wrong..."

He silenced her there with another kiss, this one on her shoulder. He didn't want to think about possible complications now. He was just happy that she had agreed, and that Dende would be there to oversee the birth of his first child. Dende, who had been taught by Kami, who had originally removed Goku's tail all those years ago. It was a great comfort to him to know that his wife would be in capable hands, even if doctors were considered the optimum. He was happier knowing they would be with Dende. He trusted Dende, and knew that the Namekian would not let anything bad happen to either his wife or his child. It was all he could ask for.

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AN. Okay, so the definition of Prudence I found was basically: Caution and/or Weighing up two good options to decide which one is better. Hence the decision between "real" doctor and Dende as main...birth...helper guy... Ah, I'm sleepy... Anyways, see you all tomorrow! I hope you enjoyed! And I hope this fit the topic (if it didn't, sorry ;P) See you tomorrow! (/later today)


	2. Justice

AN. I'd forgotten how rewarding it is to wake up and see emails detailing reviews/faves/alerts. Thanks, guys! I hope you enjoy Justice. It involves sweat (sweatdrop) [see what I did there?]

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Justice

Son Gohan, decked out in full Saiyaman gear, flew high above Satan City, his arms spread wide, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. The helmet was comfortable, but on a hot day like this he wished he could fly without it. Feeling the cool breeze through his hair would be heavenly.

"So hot," he groaned softly, and wiped away the sweat that ran down his face. "Okay, patrol for ten more minutes. Nothing happens, I go home and go swimming with Goten. Deal? Deal."

He was starting to talk to himself, and giggled a little girlishly. Plus his stomach was growling, and this combination to any Saiyan meant complete insanity. He would have to go home soon anyway to have some food.

"Oh please, oh _puh-lease_ let something happen," he said, tiling his head back so the breeze slipped beneath the visor of his helmet to stir his sweat-drenched hair. It was a pleasant surprise; he had just tipped his head back to stare imploringly at the sky.

As if in answer of his plea a high-pitched scream pierced through the heated air like a knife. He almost fell out of the sky but managed to regain his composure sufficiently to keep his altitude. Silently thanking Kami (well, Dende technically), he swooped from the sky towards the sound of that frightened scream.

As he had suspected, the screaming woman was not actually involved in the incident; she was on the sidelines simply screaming like a hysterical infant. As far as he could see there were only three people involved: two perpetrators and one hostage. He would save the hostage first and then...

"Stop right there!"

He froze, then turned and groaned quietly to himself as a familiar aeroplane descended on the scene. In it he caught only a glimpse of brilliant blue eyes and his stomach knotted up on itself.

"Videl-san!" he called, waving both his arms. "I've got this one!"

The plane landed and the young woman hopped out, ignoring him. He was ready to protest, to insist that she move on to find another crisis, but the sight of her silenced him. Her face was flushed from the heat, and instead of her usual baggy tee-shirt she was wearing only a sports bra. Sweat glistened on her skin, and Gohan's stomach grew far tighter than he had ever known.

"What are _you_ doing here, Saiyaman?" she asked disdainfully, and he was suddenly increasingly aware of the trickles of sweat slipping along his body, the heat rising in his cheeks.

"I'm working," he said, but what should have sounded authoritative instead sounded embarrassed and tentative. "What're you doing here?"

"Working." She managed to achieve the tone that had eluded him. She looked at him, then smiled slightly. "Aren't you hot?"

"No..." He flushed deeper, thankful that the visor hid this from her. "Don't be stupid."

"It's just that it's been really hot recently," she said, walking closer, her eyes searching the visor for his own. Every time they met his, however briefly, he felt his heartbeat speed up just a tad. "And that looks like really heavy cloth."

"It's f-fine," he said, and oh Kami was that a stammer he heard? "I'm not hot."

"Sure." She grinned. "Go on home, Saiyaman, I've got this under control."

"Wait, hang on, I got here first."

"I'm the one the police called." Her voice had slipped down a couple of notes in pitch, cooling instead of warming.

"Yeah, but I was just about to swoop into action. You're interrupting." He was gaining back a bit of the steel in his voice. It was good to know. He didn't think it was going to do any good though, not against this hellcat.

"And you're in my way," she said.

"Am not."

"Are too! Run along, Saiyaman, I'll handle it."

"This is my scene, Videl-san. It's my turn!"

At this point Videl had come much closer and was pushing her face up to him, intimidating despite her short stature. However their quarrel was interrupted by a timid looking police officer who, with his clean-shaven face and messy brown hair, looked as though he was maybe twelve years old.

"Um...excuse me, Videl-sama, Great Saiyaman-sama," he said softly, sounding almost scared. "But they're... uh... getting away."

"W-what!?" Gohan said, surprise rising his tone to a shout, making the young man flinch.

"Dammit," Videl cursed, then turned and started sprinting after them, waving one hand in the air. "Stop, you cheated bastards! That's not fair!"

Gohan took off and flew down the street, his eyes narrowed to make out the speeding car in the distance. He passed Videl and in a brief flash of instinct caught her in one arm, sweeping her off her feet and along with him. Instantly she beat one fist on his chest, glaring daggers at him.

"Put me down. I don't need your help."

"I'm not helping," he said, then flushed as the question _So what __are__ you doing?_ drifted through his mind.

"I can chase them without you," she spat, then started squirming in his grip. "Idiot."

"Stop that, I'll drop you," he said, and grabbed onto her with both hands, his cheeks burning.

"Good." She kicked out at him and he blocked it.

"Please, Videl-san, don't do that. We'll catch them together, alright?"

"No, not fair." She growled low in the back of her throat and then, to his surprise, hissed at him. "Get off."

"Fair is fair," Gohan said softly. "Look, we've almost caught them."

They had, in fact, over shot by about a hundred metres. Gohan wheeled back and dropped down on the ground, Videl held against his side, his visor flashing in the sun, his cape swirling around him in the hot, dry wind. The car screeched to a halt and one tall cat-man leaned out of the window, brandishing a gun, a lewd grin on his face.

"Hey, Saiyaman, cute girlfriend!" he called, then sprayed bullets at them. Gohan blocked them, but the comment had bit deep and he felt the strangest urge to defend himself and Videl against this lie.

Videl obviously felt the same urge, because she pushed him away, stood tall of her own volition and shouted, "He's _not_ my boyfriend!"

And with that she leapt forward and started fighting. She made it look effortless. Gohan just watched, then shook his head sharply and joined in, taking down the second man as he tried to punch Videl's back. They fought side by side, and when they were done they silently handed over the robbers to the police and parted ways, not saying a word to each other.

As Gohan flew towards home he reflected on what would eventually be their first real argument, and smiled as he realised that even when they bickered they fought well together, and in the end had caught the bad guys. It was an almost perfect ending. If only he had been able to kiss the girl...

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AN. (sigh) Had to end it somehow. Didn't know how. Ah well... I hope you enjoyed this one: two bickering superheroes fighting side by side for justice. Works kinda well, don't'cha think? See you tomorrow :D


	3. Temperance

AN. And here is the third day. Also known as Temperance. Now, from what I could see this meant moderation, and of course Gohan is going to follow some totally routine advice and apply it to the wrong situation entirely. Anyways, just so you know this is quite literally day by day me writing this. You are reading my work as I finish it, pretty much. Exciting, huh? First drafts are always fun :D

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Temperance

The young woman growled quietly to herself, glaring furiously at the back of the head of the boy in front of him. The teacher continued to prattle on, but her mind was completely lost in a red haze of fury, her hands clenched into tight fists beneath the desk.

A blonde girl leaned over as well, frowning slightly, and whispered, "Videl-chan, why is Gohan-kun sitting down there?"

Videl jumped and swivelled, her fist swinging around as well. It stopped only a millimetre from Erasa's blonde head, and the girl blinked, then frowned with disapproval.

"Careful, Videl-chan," she said, then pushed Videl's hand away. "I'll whop your butt."

Videl didn't reply to that, instead she responded to the first question her friend had asked.

"I don't know," she said, and then admitted in a low voice that almost completely hid a note of embarrassment, "I think he's avoiding me."

Erasa looked dismayed. More than dismayed, damned near horrified. Instantly she put both arms around Videl in a hug and crooned, "No, sweetie, I'm sure he's just feeling sick, that's all, no way he would be avoiding you."

Videl's cheeks burned dark red, but she couldn't quite find the strength to push the other girl away. Instead she just sank in her seat a little and ducked her head, heat radiating from her face. Her eyes lighted on the back of Gohan's head and fury burst through her again.

Erasa hugged her for the rest of the class, and at the end Gohan shot to his feet and bolted for the door. Videl growled, then pushed Erasa back and snatched up her bag, intent on the chase. Erasa let her go, but called, "It's alright, Videl-chan!"

Videl ignored her. Her eyes were fixed on the tall, dark haired boy who was leading the pack to the door. He slipped through and she followed, elbowing her way through the crowd. She wasn't going to let him get away.

As she strode after him her mind slipped back to the night before, the night of their very first kiss. It had been almost an accident. He had tripped and pinned her to the wall, his mouth mashing against hers. There had been a moment where they had totally frozen, pressed together in this incredibly uncomfortable position. Then, however, he had backed off barely a millimetre and suddenly the discomfort eased. They had actually kissed for about five minutes, before he had backed off completely, his eyes wide and shocked. She had reached for him to pull him back and he had flinched back, away, mumbled an apology and ran for it. She hadn't been able to catch him.

No way was she going to let that happen again. She was going to catch him and make him own up to his actions. They were going to have a long discussion about it, she knew that for sure.

He was heading for the roof and she rushed after him, determined not to let him get away. He slipped through the door, she pushed past the last few classmates and followed right behind him.

"Son Gohan!" she shouted, and he screeched to a halt in midair. He turned and looked at her, his cheeks burning red, his eyes wide and shamed.

"Oh...Vi-Videl-san," he said, and had the nerve to smile at her. "I di-didn't see you there..."

"Get down here," she spat, and he descended. He landed, then quailed as she reached out one hand and grabbed his shirt, yanking him closer. "What the hell is wrong with you, Gohan? Why have you been avoiding me??"

He looked startled.

"I haven't been avoiding you, Videl-san," he said, his cheeks darkening. "Please let go."

"Not until you explain yourself." She twisted her hand in his shirt, forcing him an inch closer. "What's the big idea? We kiss once and..."

"It wasn't a kiss," he said, averting his eyes. The words stung her and she tightened her grip.

"It was," she said, insisted almost. "It _was_ a kiss. You kissed me, Gohan, and now you're avoiding me."

"It's not avoiding," he said, and flushed even deeper.

"You don't call sitting away from me and pretending I don't exist ignoring? Then what is it, Gohan? Please tell me, I'm dying to know." She hoped her words were cold, biting, but she could hear the tremor in them and judging by the horror in his eyes when they flickered to her he could too.

"I'm...trying to...moderate myself," he admitted in short, apprehensive bursts. His eyes flickered back to meet hers briefly, but by now hers were filled with tears that she was trying desperately to suppress.

"What the hell does that mean?" she spat.

"It means... Oh Kami, Videl-san..." And then he was kissing her. He had moved so fast she hadn't even seen him, but suddenly his arms were around her and his lips were pressed hard on his. She was frozen for a moment, then pushed him away violently, her eyes blue ice, the back of her hand running across her lips.

"What do you think you're doing!?" she shouted.

He had his eyes closed and a big goofy smile on his face. Those dark, strangely innocent eyes blinked open and met hers and he let out a long, low sigh.

"I've wanted to do that all day," he said. "But I haven't let myself."

She looked at him, furious and amused at the same time, then launched herself at him and kissed him hard, her hands twining into his hair and her body pressing against his. He held her tight, stroking her back, kissing her with the same deep intensity he showed in almost all of his emotions, the kind she had fallen in love with.

"Gohan-kun," she whispered as they pulled away. "Why have you been ignoring me?"

"I told you, Videl-san, it's not ignoring you. I'm trying to moderate myself, that's all. It's hard when temptation is right there in front of me."

She tilted her head back and looked at him, incredulous. "Um, why would you do that then, Gohan-kun?"

He looked genuinely confused. "Because Mum always told me not to rush into things," he said. "She always told me to moderate myself with things I like. Why would this be any different?"

She blinked up at him, then burst out laughing. He smiled in a befuddled way as she giggled and slapped her open palm gently on his chest. Eventually her laughter tapered off and she lay her head on his chest, still giggling sporadically.

"Listen, Gohan-kun, how about you just ignore your mother's advice just this once, hmm? I think this is slightly different to chocolate or a good song, okay?"

"Okay, Videl-san." A grin spread over his face and he tilted her head up, his eyes warm and mischevious. "Does that mean I can do this whenever I want?" He bent his head and brushed his lips over hers, the pressure barely felt.

He pulled away an inch, and she licked her lips, looking up at him. Then she nodded once, briskly, and pulled him back down, her eyes sliding closed.

Moderation. What a joke.

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AN. I hope you enjoyed it :D It was fun writing this one. I have an idea for tomorrow's, but I won't actually write it until tomorrow... Because I've got a pattern now! (ahem) Anyway, please review if you feel the urge. I'll see you tomorrow!


	4. Courage

AN. And here is the fourth day. (fourth? Yeah...fourth...) This one was hard to write. Mainly because we were watching State of Origin which I do not get at all (regardless, go Queensland) and I fell asleep a couple of times... I knew exactly what I wanted and how I was going to write it, I just had difficulty actually doing it. Ah well, it's all here now. Enjoy :D

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Courage

Son Gohan walked into the room, his cheeks burning bright red as everyone there whirled around to glare at him. He nervously stepped around people and knelt by the side of the young woman sitting on the floor, the woman who was staring at him with furious, blue, ice-chip eyes.

"You're late," she growled as he positioned one hand in the small of her back, copying the position of the other couples in the room.

"Sorry," he whispered back. "Goten wouldn't let me leave."

She rolled her eyes, then looked at the teacher and mouthed an apology. The older woman remained still for a moment, then nodded and continued. Videl breathed in and out. Gohan supported her back, held her hand and encouraged her. Afterwards he helped her stand up and they thanked the instructor, Gohan flushing with embarrassment as he apologised profusely for being late.

Then they left, walking down the street together, Videl shrugging his hand off her shoulder and walked tall, her nose pointing away from him. He sighed and walked beside her with his head bowed in shame, his eyes pleading.

"I'm sorry I was late, Videl-san," he said softly, trying to placate her. "It was Goten, he wanted me to help him with his homework."

"You could have helped him after," she said in a clipped voice. "You could have made it on time."

He blinked at her, shocked. She sounded far more angry than she should, even taking his lateness into the equation. What had he done?

"Um...Videl-san? I'm sorry about everything..."

There was a brief silence. Then:

"That's just typical, isn't it?" she spat, whirling around to face him. "Son Gohan, the world's best apologiser. Just shut up, would you? Just this once?"

And then she spun away and strode down the path, her pregnant belly leading the way, her head back. Gohan was frozen to the spot for a second, then followed, frowning with confusion. No way was this just about him being late. She would have been mad to start with, sure, but an apology and a promise not to be late again would have placated her. If she was still angry then something else was up.

He sped up until he was beside her, then kept her pace, silently watching her profile. He saw a glimmer of something in her eyes, but though they loved each other very much they hadn't quite gotten to the stage where they could read each other like books. He debated with himself for a brief moment, then decided to be straight.

"Videl-san, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she spat. Her tone said leave it, but he couldn't. Something was bugging his wife and he wouldn't be happy until he discovered what it was.

"Come on," he said, making sure his tone was gentle. "There has to be something. You can tell me, you know you can."

She was silent for a moment, then growled again, "I said there was nothing. Drop it, Gohan."

That silence heightened his feeling of hope and he touched her shoulder, deciding to press her gently.

"Please, Videl-san. I can't help you if you don't tell me. We promised always to help each other in times of difficulty, didn't we? In our vows."

Videl didn't reply for a long time. In that span of time Gohan moved closer and put his hand on her opposite shoulder so his arm was around her, comforting. When she eventually spoke her voice was low and ashamed, and she refused to meet his eyes.

"I'm scared, Gohan-kun. I'm scared about having this baby..."

Gohan hadn't been expecting that, but didn't let his surprise show. Instead he just rubbed her arm and asked in a soft, soothing voice, "Why are you scared?"

"Because I've never had a baby before," she said. "It's such a womanly thing to do. I have no idea how to." She paused, then laughed a little. "Plus the fact that this particular baby is more alien than human."

That wasn't technically true, but Gohan let it go now. His wife was nervous about having an alien baby. That was fair enough. Before she had met him she had had no idea that aliens could procreate successfully with humans. He was quite convinced she hadn't known that aliens existed at all.

"It's normal to be scared," he said softly. "It's perfectly natural. I don't blame you in the slightest. I'm scared too, Videl-san. I'm scared for you and for our baby." His other hand crossed over and gently caressed her belly. "But we need to be strong, okay? We have to be brave."

Her hand rested gently over his, her fingers twining around his, and her head lowered a little. He pulled her closer and she nestled against his side.

"I'm still scared," she whispered.

"I know." He kissed the top of her head, smiling. "But I love you and I'll be right there beside you when the baby's born. I wouldn't leave your side for anything. Be brave for me, Videl-san. Stick it through."

At this she laughed and punched him lightly, while her other hand gripped his tighter.

"As if I could just revoke membership to the pregnancy club now," she said, and he was relieved to hear the lift of a smile in her voice even if there was the thickness of tears there too. "Idiot."

They continued to walk in silence for a while, looking very much the picture of a perfectly happy married couple, before Videl lifted her head and met his eyes, hers warm and brilliant blue, a smile on her face.

"Alright, Gohan-kun," she said softly. "I've thought it through, and I'll be brave. I'm still scared, but I'll have this baby with all the strength and dedication you would expect of me."

"Thank you, Videl-san." He bent down and kissed her once, gently, on the lips. She kissed him back and he thought to himself, _I married the most courageous woman in the whole world._

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AN. I hope you enjoyed it :D I'll see you again tomorrow. Please review if you're not too busy!_


	5. Faith

AN. And here we have it, my fifth entry. It's very nice, I think. Kinda random. A little bit of tweaking of the original story, but whatever. This could also fit in with **Hope**, but I decided to put it under **Faith**, because I could. Enjoy :D

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**Faith**

Videl stood stock still, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open and her arms by her sides. Son Goku, the dead father of Gohan, lowered his head, his mouth curling down at the corners, sorrow in his eyes. Bulma Briefs, famous daughter of the creator of Capsule Corporation, screamed with anguish and fell to her knees, her head tilting back so she wailed at the sky. Chichi fainted dead away, landing in her father's arms, her eyes rolled back to whites.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Goku said quietly.

Videl turned and walked away from the group, her eyes dropping to the ground. She tripped, even though the marble floor was completely smooth. Her hands lifted to grip the opposite elbows, her nails sinking into the soft, vulnerable flesh there.

"No," she whispered aloud, unaware that she had spoken. "Please..."

Her vision blurred, and it took her a moment to realise it was because tears had filled them. She let them build then slip away down her cheeks, unable to summon the energy to wipe them away. Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she felt it would either burst from her chest or run out of energy and just stop.

"Videl?"

It was a new voice, one she hadn't heard before. She turned and saw the young green man who had been introduced as Dende. She turned away, closing her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"No," she said shortly. "I'm not."

There was silence, then he was at her side. Up close she realised he was not nearly as old as he looked; his face was smooth and his eyes sparkled with life. He couldn't be older than sixteen, approximately.

"I understand," he said quietly. He sighed softly then looked over at the group behind them, sorrow burning in his dark eyes, a sadness so deep it was almost anguish. But no one could feel something that intense and not scream aloud. "I can't believe it... Gohan-san...dead..."

"He's not," she spat, and he recoiled with surprise, his eyes widening. Tears slipped from them and tracked down his cheeks, sparkling in the bright sunlight. Videl thought madly that this was also wrong, it shouldn't be sunny.

"W-what?"

"He's not dead," she said, her tone biting. "He's alive. I know it."

Dende hesitated, then said gently, "I understand that you are hopeful, but if we can't sense his ki..."

"He's alive," she said stubbornly.

Dende lowered his head, tears splashing on the front of his white robe. He sniffled, then said in a low, tear choked voice, "Gohan-san was my best friend... My oldest friend. I loved him like one of my brothers. I hope and pray that he's alive, but I can't feel it. I think he's dead, Videl-san. I'm sorry."

Videl knew who Dende was, but hadn't quite grasped the idea that the boy was the Guardian of Earth. If she had she would have appreciated the helplessness in the idea of him praying.

"He's not dead." She was beginning to sound like a broken record. To break it up, she said, "I don't care what you say, Dende, he's going to come back and smile that stupid goofy grin of his and apologise in that stupid way he has for scaring us all like this."

Dende was silent for a long time. Then he put a slim green hand on her arm, smiled tearfully at her and said, "I hope you're right, Videl-san. I really do."

And with that he turned and walked away, catching her vibe and leaving her alone. She looked moodily out over the side, her nails digging in even harder.

"I know he is," she said softly, and one more tear slid down her cheek.

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AN. And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it's shorter than the other ones. I felt a little off... I'm sure I'll be much better for tomorrow's. Please review if you feel so inclined. You can see why I put it under **Faith**, don't you? Because she believes that he's not dead...? (cough) Anyway...Only two more to go! See you tomorrow!!


	6. Hope

AN. And here is the sixth entry. This is another short one, sorry about that. Also, difficult to find an idea for hope... Eventually just went with 'longing for something to happen' which is what I mostly take hope for. As in 'I hope it will rain soon' or 'I hope the internet is working'. That kind of hope... Anyway I hope you enjoy :D

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Hope

"She's kicking! Quick, Gohan-kun!"

Gohan jumped, then sprinted over and fell to his knees, bending his head and pressing his ear to the bare stomach of his wife. She had her shirt pulled up to expose the stretched skin of her belly, her hands braced on either side of it, her face twitching with slight winces.

He listened intently for a moment, one hand flat beside hers, when a nudge pressed up against his palm and his face lit up.

"Wow," he whispered. "She's so _strong_."

"I know..." Her face twisted again, her lips tightening. "Believe me, I know."

He looked up at her and guilt filled his eyes.

"Oh, Videl-san... Is she hurting you?"

"A little..." Videl tried to smile, but it was twisted and strained. Gohan's guilt intensified and he put both his hands on her stomach, massaging it gently in an effort to still the baby within.

"Don't worry, Videl-san, it's not for much longer now, I promise."

"You've been saying that for three weeks now," she said with a soft gasp as another nudge pushed his palm. "When exactly is this damned baby coming!?"

He flinched back from her anger, but moved to placate her as soon as he could. He didn't want her upset and, let's face it, it was partly his fault she was in this condition.

"I don't know exactly, Videl-san. That's the thing with Saiyan pregnancies. And especially how they mix with human ones. Mum gave birth to me at five months, to Goten at four and a half. But you've been pregnant almost six months now and I don't..."

"I hope it's soon," Videl groaned, and clenched her eyes shut, hunching forward slightly in her chair. Gohan lifted his hands to catch her shoulders, concern now filling his face. "Very soon..."

"Videl-san, I'm _sure_ it will be." His fingers caressed her skin, soothing her with his touch. "I can almost guarantee it'll be in the next few days. Just be patient, okay? For me?"

She groaned quietly, then her hands lifted from her stomach to gently touch the sides of his head, her fingers twining in his hair.

"Oh, Gohan-kun... I didn't know it would hurt..."

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered and gently kissed her. "I didn't realise... I'm sorry."

She smiled a little, then started to laugh. Gohan blinked in surprise, then offered a tentative smile. She lightly slapped his cheek, smiling despite the pain that still stretched her mouth a little at the corners.

"You idiot," she said, giggling. "I wanted this baby as much as you did. I still want this baby. It just hurts, that's all. I'll get over it."

He smiled a little nervously. Her smile widened, became more genuine, and this time she didn't flinch when their baby's foot made a bump in her stomach. She kissed him on the nose, then pulled away and grinned at him, a grin that very closely mirrored the infamous Son one.

"Videl-san," he whispered, admiration in his eyes, his lips curling up in smile. "I love you..."

"Love you too," she said casually. "But it had better be real soon, Gohan-kun. I was promised a short pregnancy."

"I'm sure it'll be soon," Gohan assured her.

"How sure?"

"Real sure." He sounded less convinced with every moment that passed. He felt she was playing with him, but it was always so hard to be sure.

"Really sure?"

She was smiling slyly, her hands gently playing with his hair.

"Really, really sure," he said. He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips again. "At least...I hope I am."

She laughed and he sighed, relieved. She took one of his hands and put it palm down on her stomach again, smiling as the baby within kicked against his hand once more. She didn't seem to feel any pain from it this time; maybe the infant had picked up on her mother's distress and had pulled her kicks a little. He hoped he was right; if he wasn't he had the feeling that there'd be hell to pay. Most mothers went into this deal with some knowledge of how long the contract was. Videl was a strong woman, that was for sure. And Gohan appreciated that so much.

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AN. Also, I went to the theatre today. _Taming of A Shrew_, funny but also oh so inappropriate. If it hadn't been an all-female cast then I don't think a lot of people would have stood for it. Ah well, I had a good night anyway. I hope you enjoyed this Hope entry. There's some delish sleep to be had ;P I'll see you all tomorrow with my last entry: Charity! I'll be back in Melbourne by then... (cough) Review if you feel the urge, I'd much appreciate it :D


	7. Charity

AN. Okay, here's the last one :D It's been a fun week. I've gone from being in a house with my very sick mother and sister, to feeling sick myself, to being freezing in Melbourne (my current state, in case you're wondering where that came from). This was delayed by the fact that I didn't write in the plane, got back to Melbourne and was like: "FRIENDS!! *rabid stalking*" Anyway, it's now nearly 2am on the 19th, so I'm technically late (however, not sleepy at all. I'd better go to sleep though, uni starts up again on Monday XD). I hope you enjoy! This one I was going for a cute, funny, little story; I hope it worked...

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Charity

"Bugger," Gohan muttered as he searched desperately through his bag. Videl looked over at him, then back at her book. She looked up again when Gohan repeated himself, his voice a little louder and more vicious. "Bugger!"

"Um...Gohan-kun?"

"Videl-san, I don't have any money!"

Videl's eyes widened with surprise, and then her eyebrows drew together in a frown as he threw his bag to the ground, the books inside banging against each other with enough noise to make other people in the restaurant look around in confusion.

"Gohan-kun!"

He looked at her, then muttered a distracted apology. She sighed, bent and retrieved his bag, and flipped the cover up, peering into the depths. There were about ten books, but nothing else that she could see. She lifted her eyes to his, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"What do you need money for anyway, Gohan-kun?"

"It's Goten's birthday in two days," Gohan said quietly, viciously. "And I can't afford to get him a present. I can't afford anything anymore. He deserves something really nice and I can't get him squat."

He groaned, then shook his head hard and hit his palm against his forehead. Videl paused, then ventured uncertainly, "Well...what do you want to get him?"

"Something big. Something he'll never forget."

Videl was silent for a moment, then offered, "I could help you...you know, lend you some mon-"

"I am not a charity case," he said coldly, cutting her offer off. "I don't need your money."

"I wouldn't be giving it to you out of charity," she said, horrified at the very idea. "It would be out of...well..."

"Just because I'm poor and you're rich doesn't mean I need your pity," Gohan spat, and she felt the first needling touch of anger. "I don't need your...your _handouts_."

Videl's jaw dropped. She struggled for a moment to find words, then eventually burst out, "It's not a handout, Gohan-kun! I don't pity you; why would I? You've got a wonderful little brother and parents who adore you. Did it occur to you that I love Goten too and maybe I want to help you get him something??"

They were quiet for a long time. People eventually stopped staring at them and idle conversation started up again around them. Then Gohan sighed and put his hand on Videl's.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I've gotten used to people making those kinds of...gestures... You wouldn't've been the first."

She narrowed her eyes at him, her lips tightening into a thin line.

"Stupid boy," she said eventually. "Why would anyone _ever_ view you as a charity case? Kami only knows you're strong enough to do almost anything. Why would they assume you wouldn't be able to fight for your family, no matter who or what your opponent was?"

He looked at her, then lunged across the table and kissed her hard on the lips, one hand catching the back of her head and pulling her close.

She blinked when he finally released her, before asking breathlessly, "What was that for?"

"No one has ever been able to put it so succinctly," he said simply. "You _get_ me, Videl-san. And I love you for it."

She smiled, leant over the table with much more control and decorum than he had shown, and kissed him gently on the corner of his mouth.

"Of course I get you," she whispered. "I wouldn't love you if I didn't." She pulled away a little, then asked, "So, shall we go shopping for Goten then?"

He grinned and nodded, shooting to his feet. "He was looking at something over here, we should go there first, Videl-san."

She got to her feet and followed him, silently thanking her father for all the work he had done. After all he had given her this money for her own use, and doing so made it as much Gohan's money as it did hers. She just wasn't going to tell him that yet.

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AN. And there we go! I hope you enjoyed it. Once again, I really enjoyed this week. It was loads of fun. I have to say, writing the 7 Virtues was WAY harder than the 7 Sins. I wonder why that would be in this modern day and age... ;P I'll be seeing you next time something this awesome comes up! Until then ;D


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